Chapter Text
Jaena Robles stood at the edge of the bustling makeshift clinic, looking out over the valley below. It was a scene that she had only seen in pictures: the hills, the endless sky, and the small village tucked between them, its simple buildings radiating a quiet charm. The mission was in full swing, and volunteers were scurrying about—doctors, nurses, and medical staff working tirelessly to provide care for the underserved community. Jaena had done plenty of international work in the past, but this particular mission had an additional weight she wasn’t prepared for.
Because Carter Vergara was here.
The name hit Jaena like a punch to the gut, even before she saw her. Carter was the last person she had expected to run into on this trip. Her ex-girlfriend. The one person who had broken her heart so thoroughly years ago that Jaena had sworn off relationships for a long time. The woman who had once made her feel like she could fly, only to drop her flat on the ground.
"Jaena Robles?" A voice pulled her from her thoughts.
She turned around, her professional smile slipping into place despite the way her heart skipped a beat. Carter stood there, as if she hadn't aged a day. The same confident smirk on her lips, the same easy grace to her movements. But her eyes... those brown eyes held something deeper now, a quiet intensity that hadn’t been there before.
"Carter," Jaena said curtly, keeping her voice steady. She forced herself to look at the woman in front of her, even as her mind raced. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”
Carter’s smirk widened, and she took a step closer, her gaze playful but still cautious. "Yeah, well, I didn’t expect to see you either, but here we are. Looks like we’re both stuck in this little slice of paradise together."
Jaena's lips pressed into a thin line, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. Carter always had that effect on her—always trying to make light of everything, never taking things seriously. It had been one of the reasons they had broken up.
"Is that your way of saying you’re glad to see me?" Jaena asked, her voice sharp, her walls up high.
"Not exactly." Carter chuckled softly. "But it’s good to see you, Jaena. You’ve got that... serious vibe going on. Still as grumpy as ever, huh?"
Jaena arched an eyebrow, her gaze hardening. “I’m not grumpy. I’m just... focused.”
Carter laughed again, clearly amused. "Right. Focused. Sure."
Before Jaena could respond, a colleague of hers appeared, pulling her attention away from the confrontation. Carter stepped back, seemingly satisfied with her tease. Jaena could feel her heart still racing, the old mix of irritation and something she couldn't quite name stirring in her chest.
As they both turned back to their respective teams, Jaena couldn’t shake the feeling that this medical mission would bring a lot more than just medical cases. And, much to her surprise, she wasn’t sure she was ready for it.